Waterloo Region Public Safety

Status
Not open for further replies.

SCPD

QRT
Joined
Feb 24, 2001
Messages
0
Location
Virginia
Hello:

I have been having trouble getting a strong signal from this system the last few weeks. Is this a general
problem or just in the east part of the City of Waterloo?

Does anyone have an update on the new APCO-25 system for Waterloo Region?


Cheers
 

VA3ADP

Member
Premium Subscriber
Joined
Mar 27, 2015
Messages
754
Location
Mississauga, Ontatrio Canada
Last time I was out that way, I encountered a lot of cell tower interference on the EDACS system. So I might just be certain areas. Have you tried an 800mhz antenna?

Sent from my XT1563 using Tapatalk
 

bwjmackie

Member
Joined
Jul 10, 2010
Messages
122
Location
Ontario, Canada
I usually have pretty good reception of the system throughout the region and sometimes well beyond (Guelph Line at 401 for instance). It does have its spotty locations, including one on Albert St. in Waterloo right in front of the Bell substation. I can't count how often the fire tones have gone off just as I'm entering that dead spot, only to hear something like "run card 263" to finish off the dispatch as I regain a signal.

Eastern Waterloo I can't really speak to as I'm not frequently in that area.

Aside: Busy night tonight with the ice storm. The last 4-5 hours have been nearly non-stop dispatches for hydro lines down, trees down, etc. Numerous and widespread power outages reported by all local utilities.
 

SCPD

QRT
Joined
Feb 24, 2001
Messages
0
Location
Virginia
Thanks For The Replies

There are a lot of cell towers in this area!
I will try an antenna.

Thanks
 

neoengel

Member
Joined
Aug 22, 2010
Messages
60
Location
Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada
I've got great reception inside various locations in Kitchener. However I've discovered a few 'dead zones' while using homepatrol1 and roof antenna. For example my reception is quite garbled while in the drive through at Victoria Timmies near highway access. Switching to the little antenna it came with alleviated the problem. Maybe you're experiencing something similar?
 

mciupa

Database Admin
Moderator
Joined
Nov 5, 2002
Messages
8,301
Even St.Jacob's market has good reception for WRPS with a HP-2
 

bluwest

Member
Premium Subscriber
Joined
Jul 4, 2007
Messages
73
Location
Kitchener, Ont, Canada
I was travelling throughout the region over the past few days and have not noticed any issues other then right by Sunrise Centre where that cell tower by the expressway really screws with the signal.
 

icarus1963

Member
Premium Subscriber
Joined
Dec 13, 2009
Messages
163
Location
Brantford, Ontario
I was travelling throughout the region over the past few days and have not noticed any issues other then right by Sunrise Centre where that cell tower by the expressway really screws with the signal.

Does anyone have a map of the Waterloo region tower locations. I checked the Wiki but there was nothing there.

Andy
 

SCPD

QRT
Joined
Feb 24, 2001
Messages
0
Location
Virginia
The cell towers around the region might be the cause of your poor reception, basically they are overloading the scanner and blocking out the signals from the Waterloo edacs system in various locations. That is very common in the region. The other possibility is they have started work on the new system and turned off a tower to accommodate work on the new equipment but I doubt it but I don't know enough about how that work goes to say.
 

SCPD

QRT
Joined
Feb 24, 2001
Messages
0
Location
Virginia
WRPS Reception

Hi:

The reception is okay right now as long as I don't move my BCD996XT. The techs test the system
many times during the day, so something is up (or down).

John
 

SCPD

QRT
Joined
Feb 24, 2001
Messages
0
Location
Virginia
Might be cell sites nearby then, you can try reducing antenna quality and if your reception improves then you are probably getting hammered by a cell site. Except for the cell site issues I love that system, every time I get to go to Kitchener Waterloo it's a pleasure to listen to not only because it's in the clear but the audio quality is so crystal clear and sharp. Not like that muddy P25 stuff. Will be sad to see it go late this year.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top